Horrific Photo Showing Thousands of Skinned Foxes Piled Up Reveals Scale of Suffering on Fur Farms
The harrowing undercover visuals show some of the animals who are among the 100 million slaughtered every year for their fur.
Skinned animals are heaped in a pile at a fur farm. Animals are sometimes skinned while still alive. Credit: HSI
A harrowing photo that shows the skinned bodies of thousands of foxes piled up in a heap, offers a glimpse of the horrific scale of suffering on fur farms around the world.
The image is part of a new undercover investigation by Humane Society International (HSI), which visited 11 randomly selected fur farms in one of the top fur-producing countries in Asia.
The US imports the majority of its fur apparel from Asian nations, where animal welfare laws are few or non-existent.
Footage from HSI’s investigation shows foxes being beaten over the face with a metal bar, and cut and skinned while still alive. Before their horrific slaughter, the foxes are kept in tiny wire cages, with barely any room to move.
The investigation has appalled those in the fashion industry, and prompted renewed calls for a complete ban on fur. Fashion expert Tim Gunn explains, “I watched the shameful video and ... there’s no greater time than now to reflect on how we treat other beings and the impact we all have on this earth. It’s clear the fur trade does not care”.
As part of the global fur trade, more than 100 million animals are killed for their fur every year, including coyote, mink, raccoon dog, and chinchilla.
However, with increased awareness of the cruelty involved in fur farming, consumers are leading the trend towards faux-fur and animal-free fashion.
In 2019, California became the first US state to ban the sale of fur, and an overwhelming number of fashion designers and retailers have also dropped fur, including Gucci, Versace, and Macy’s.
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The footage was reportedly recorded at Marshall BioResources in North Rose, New York, where up to 22,000 dogs - mostly beagles - are being bred for animal experimentation.